![]() ![]() January 1st in the Lunar New Year, we usually pay a visit to temples around the area, praying for the new year, and visit elder relatives. My family used to stay up this night, but it depends now. Kids usually get red envelopes from adults after the reunion dinner, some kids do the other way round when they become adults. This feast usually contains certain food besides common food (This is for my family or the certain area, the contains may differ by regions): fish (pronounced the same with “surplus” in Mandarin), rice cake (pronounced the same with “rising” in Mandarin), mustard green (pronounced similarly with long-living in Mandarin), apples (pronounced similarly with “safe” in Mandarin), pineapples (pronounced similarly with “flourish” in Taiwanese), and oranges (pronounced the same with “good fortune” in Mandarin). Asian culture often comes with food, at this night, we will have a family reunion dinner. ![]() We also pay tribute to the ancestors today, praying for the upcoming year. The Lunar New Year’s eve usually means the preparation for the new year, we usually clean out all the house, write and put up the spring couplet. The Lunar New Year is a series of events, starting from the Lunar New Year eve, ending on January 2th of the lunar calendar. I come from southern Taiwan, where people still keep many traditional costumes to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Meng-Hsiao Wei: MFA Systems Design Thinking Learn which Zodiac animal corresponds with your birth year here: Student Perspectives Horoscopes for the new year are determined by which Zodiac animal corresponds with your birth year. Horoscope predictions may offer warnings, but also include advice and support to navigate difficulties. Each Zodiac animal has five elemental variants Metal, Earth, Fire, Wood, and Water. The Tiger arrived third, using its strength and speed to persevere through the strong river current. According to Chinese legend, people born in each animal’s year share the traits of that animal. Twelve animals came to visit, crossing a large river in their journey there, and he assigned a year to each of the animals in the order they arrived. The legend of the Zodiac animals explains the association between the year and the animal: According to Chinese myth, the Jade Emperor asked for all the animals to visit him on New Year’s Day. ![]() ![]() The Chinese calendar also involves the Chinese Zodiac as each year relates to one of the twelve Zodiac animals: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat/ sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig. The Lunar New Year is an important time for Chinese astrology and horoscopes. The legend behind the tradition of fireworks explains that long ago, a terrible monster called Nián used to terrorize villages at the start of the New Year, but a visitor to the village discovered that Nián could be scared away by the loud noises of firecrackers and the color red. Examples include visiting family, sharing a large meal, hosting parties, cooking together, offering prayers, exchanging red envelopes of money, watching fireworks, watching dance performances, and creating lantern displays. Celebrations of the Lunar New Year are diverse, some more traditional and others very modern. This time is seen as an opportunity to finish any projects before the New Year – people commonly prepare by scheduling appointments and doing their shopping in the weeks prior. Many people prepare for the Lunar New Year by cleaning their house and putting up decorations that will welcome good luck and deter bad luck. The holiday is typically celebrated with family through many traditional activities. In China, the Lunar New Year is celebrated as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, and celebrations start on February 1st, the first day of the first lunar month, and continue until the moon is full, ending February 15th with the Lantern Festival. Depending on how the lunisolar calendar relates to the Gregorian calendar used in the US, the Lunar New Year typically falls sometime between January 21st and February 20th annually. The Lunar New Year marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendars, traditional to many East Asian countries, which are regulated by the cycles of the moon and sun. The Lunar New Year is an important holiday for many East Asian countries, including but not limited to China, Korea, and Vietnam. ![]()
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